Police increase patrols after attempted Edgewood abduction

WOOSTER — Police are installing extra patrols during drop-off and dismissal times around Edgewood Middle School after a report of an attempted abduction Tuesday.

Wooster Police Capt. Scott Rotolo said the parents of a 13-year-old girl reported a man driving a blue minivan asked her if she needed a ride in the area of Graustark Path when the girl was walking home. The girl continued walking, Rotolo said, and the van eventually drove away without further incident.

No other information was provided and Rotolo said any comments regarding the motivation behind the interaction would be pure speculation.

The suspect was described as a white man “older than 30” with short, brown hair.

The reported incident occurred shortly after school let out at Edgewood at 2:40 p.m. on Tuesday. Parents did not contact the police until 7:25 p.m.

The Wooster City School District put out an alert at roughly 9 p.m. Tuesday warning parents of the incident.

“Parents are encouraged to speak to their kids about strangers, how to recognize and handle dangerous situations, and for the purposes of this, not accepting a ride from a stranger,” Rotolo said.

He noted that additional information can be found at the National Crime Prevention Council’s website — www.ncpc.org — under the council’s tab regarding what parents can teach children about strangers.

Reporter Steven F. Huszai can be reached at 330-287-1645 or shuszai@the-daily-record.com. He is @GeneralSmithie on Twitter.